Alone
by Chocolate Covered Lab Tech
Summary: Slash. Nick/Greg The lights go off in Las Vegas. Slight songfic, if you know the song you;ll understand it.


Category: Slash  
  
Pairing: Nick/Greg  
  
Rating: PG. 13  
  
Disclaimer: All characters used are property of CBS, If they were mine I would be living the high life somewhere in a tropical locale. I bought the soundtrack and I own the plot used here-in. That's about it, got bills to pay ya'know! Have to keep the TV on so that I can still watch!  
  
Notes: I'm aware how unlikely it would be to have Las Vegas black out for hours at a time, do you see me caring that much? No. I got everyone's bio off of the official CBS web site by the way, very interesting things they have to say about Gill. Seagulls?! Ugh!  
  
Spoilers: Slaves of Las Vegas, Lady Heather's Box, Random Acts of Violence, I-15 Murders, Boom  
And also a spoiler for the recurring theme of Gill's hearing loss.  
  
  
Guitar riffs sounded, reverberating in the plexi-glass walls of the DNA processing lab. It was just gone two a.m. and all but one lab tech had left. The rest had gone home to their beds, lovers, night lives. But there sat one last person. Listening to Nirvana so loud it just might make his ear drums bleed. He chattered to himself as he shuffled folders, ears tuned to the buzzing noise that meant the analysis machine was still working. The city had been having small power outages and he was afraid of loosing the data he had worked on all night again. He still had hours left as well, even if no one came in with things for him to process. He squinted and looked out into the darkening hallways of CSI headquarters. He could see the oriental computer tech working studiously at a sound analysis. Computers were all the rage. Sure he knew how to use one, sure he was great at everything. But when it all came down, just because he didn't have a B.S. in computer technology, he was left in the HQ while the oriental whatever his name, got to prance with Nick to a crime scene. Damn Stokes, it was his fault he was on this DNA analysis for the second time too. Well not exactly, but it was for his case. He'd even tried to chat up a girl studiously for two hours, but she'd said she had to go and get some sleep. Was he loosing his charm? He'd always been able to get dates with no problems. He was good at that type of balancing act. He grimaced as he thought of his last date and decided he had lost the old Sanders' charm, the ice water in his lap should have clued him in last week. He was thinking hard now and the only women who were ever nice to him were Sara and Cathrine. He frowned and then cursed as his music cut off, then he was plunged into complete darkness. Damn Las Vegas, he was starting to hate it here.   
  
He stilled and listened, waiting for the light to cut back on, but all he could hear was the steady thrumming of rain falling on the roof, he sighed and realized he was glad he was inside tonight. He suddenly worried for his co-workers, all out on the road, the wet oily road. He fiddled around in drawers, hoping to find a hidden lighter, a matchbook. His hands hit a few unidentified objects he'd have to ask his co-workers about later, and finally found something that wouldn't set off the sprinklers, a flash light. He pressed the button and started toward the door to help the only other occupant of CSI headquarters, the oriental computer tech that he was still mad at. He made it to the sound analysis room, goose bumps on his skin, the sound of the thundering rain was louder in the hallways. He opened the door and timidly shined the light he held around. "You ok..." he dropped off. The oriental must have slipped past him before the lights went off and left. He closed the door and made it back to his lab, trembling slightly, the sound and darkness was enough to make one afraid, but to be alone as well? He sat in his chair and contemplated actually waiting it out outside in the rain, but thought of how silly that was. He sat in his little pool of light and waited studiously for the lights to come back on.  
  
Gil took off his glasses, putting them in a coat pocket while the rain poured down on Stokes, Brass, and himself. He walked quickly under an awning and was joined by the other two. Nick had his hands shoved in his pockets, his lips were turning a slight color of blue, his body shaking every so often, small little convulsions of chill cutting him. Gil focused on Brass who showed none of these characteristics, both of the older men had water proof coats on. Nick watched the light-less buildings above. A sign for a lesser known casino looming over head, just a silhouette when the lightning lit up the sky enough for it to be seen. Nick hated rain. He heard Grissom call his name and looked at his mentor, and boss. "I proposed that we go and see how Sanders is doing with the DNA you found at the scene, Brass was agreeing. We are pressed on time" Grissom repeated himself and Nick nodded complacently. Gil watched Nick's lower lip start to tremble ever so slightly, and decided he'd have to tell him to buy a better coat. It should have been obvious last time it had rained. But Nick must have been thinking of other things. He silently mussed over Stokes' life, and how much he didn't know about it. Brass bid them fair well and made a mad dash for his car, slipping slightly on the glossy pavement before catching himself on the door. He got into his city commissioned car and drove to his own HQ to try and keep the suspect detained for as long as the law would prohibit.  
  
Gil grabbed Nick's arm gently and corralled the younger CSI into the rain, walking at a brisk, but safe pace toward their own car, a block away. Parking had been bad at this scene. Storefront with the only parking being behind, where it was inaccessible to get to unless you walked two blocks around, or up a set of stairs that had been fallen by a blast of lightning right when the CSI had gotten there, that's also when this bout of rain had hit their dusty city. No one had a chance of outrunning this, Gil started the car, watching in genuine worry as Nick's hand shook when he reached for the car phone. Gil switched on the heat as he pulled out into the dangerous street, lights being out meant street lights too, he took the most deserted roads possible to get back to HQ. Nick put the phone back a few seconds later, the phone lines were out too, Grissom feared the havoc that would be shown come daylight. But he was looking forward to the prospect of working overtime. Ever since he'd lost all hope of a friendship with Lady Heather, he hadn't wanted to go off duty much, he rarely wanted to go off duty anyway, but this had been a chance to have a life outside of his job, where he could actually let someone know him, he'd blown it. If only she could understand it was his job not to discriminate. He had to look at all possible sides of the crime or he'd loose focus. He hadn't wanted to suspect her, but she'd had the weapon in her possession. He had proved her innocent. But in solving the crime he had lost her trust in him. He mussed over his own problems and wondered about the problems in the lives of the rest of his CSI. His family. He pulled into the HQ parking lot as the power to L.V. came back on, he was amused as well by the lessening of rain splatters on the hood of his car as well. Nick and himself still ran for the door though and walked into the air conditioned building where they were hit by a freezing wind. Nick unceremoniously stripped off his coat while heading for his locker. Gil took off his as well and hung it up in his office to allow it to drip dry. He then focused on his search for Greg to see if the lab tech had been able to finish the results by now. He entered the DNA Analysis room to see Greg restarting everything, including his DNA testing.   
  
"I'm sorry Grissom, the power just came on, and everything has been on the fritz" Greg said and Grissom was slightly intrigued by the way his technician was slightly shaking, cold could not possibly be an excuse, Greg was simply worked up over something. He watched as the tech used trembling hands to take the sample from the machine and reset it. He watched Greg turn to look at the door and watched Nick walk past him. He said something that Greg laughed about. But Gil had not heard it. His hearing was deteriorating steadily. He wished that he could tell someone, but he didn't know a single person he really wanted to trust that much, Cathrine possibly, but after the loss of her Ex she wasn't all that ready to deal with other people's problems. He watched curiously as Greg blushed, looked at the smug look on Nick's face. He'd lost what the comment had been, so far his crew was just in belief that he wasn't paying attention to them, that he either had other things on his mind, or didn't feel their petty conversations warranted his attention. It was neither, he wished he could hear them, wished with everything he had. But it wasn't helping any, he was still loosing his battle.  
  
"Grissom? Mr. Grissom?" Greg asked and Gil realized how serious Greg was being, he'd just called him Mr., it made him feel older then he was, well he was older then them of course, almost double Greg's age at least. But mister and sir were words he only wanted to hear from people who were not his co-workers. "When do you think would be a reasonable time for the tests to be completed at?" Gil asked without missing a beat, he watched Greg putter around at the DNA machine before the lab tech turned back to him. He was glad his team had good people skills, Greg looked straight as him and spoke clearly, he heard the last bit about it being an hour or so, and Nick's comment on how Greg must have blacked out the power just so he could get a break. He told the two he'd be in the lab, explained to Nick he needed no assistance and left the two alone to go muse over a piece of paper in silence. Silence that wasn't necessarily welcomed.  
  
"What's been wrong with him?" Nick asked in his usual southern twang, leaning against a work table. Greg looked out the glass walls, a worried expression on his face. Nick commented on Greg needing to gell his hair again, but saw that the lab tech was paying him no heed. "Greg?" he asked and the brown eyed tech looked at him. "Archie... the computer expert left. I never saw him go, and when I checked the register he wasn't due to leave for another few hours" Greg said suddenly, slightly ashamed of looking at the registry and tattling on a fellow tech, he'd done it at first just so that he'd know the Oriental's name but, it had slipped, plus he was a little worried. "Probably wanted to go home, was it 'fore or after the storm hit again?" Nick asked, his mind not really that curious but seeing as Greg was the only one left in HQ other then Gill, he needed to be involved in something or he'd succumb to this feeling of shivering and get sick. He hated rain and he hated being chilled. It just didn't happen in Texas. He missed his family, missed his high school sweet heart, it had been awhile since he'd had a girlfriend, in fact the last one had been a prostitute named Kristi. Las Vegas was the only place he felt that he would have been able to fall for a prostitute, back home he'd have killed his father's reputation. He'd damaged it enough already. He looked up and wondered where Greg was from, what his parents were like. If he had to live up to any expectations. He looked at Greg's slightly mussed gelled up hair, the Hawaiian T-shirt, the simple slacks. Knew he didn't. "Hey? Stokes your staring, you comin down with whatever Grissom has? Nick" Greg asked getting into Nick's personal space and running a hand over terribly cool skin. "Nick! Your freezing!" Greg shrugged out of his lab coat and pulled Nick into it. Nick was just starting to realize this when the shaking started. He couldn't afford to get sick now. He had so much to do, if they didn't get the DNA to Brass the police would have to release the man they were holding. He couldn't be sick now. He froze up suddenly, his body still shaking uncontrollably. Greg had his arms wrapped tightly around him, was trying to get him to relax, to take deep breaths. "Get off of me!" he yelled and Greg stepped back quickly, brown eyes looking a bit hurt. "Your... you were" Greg tried to explain but Nick shrugged out of the coat and shoved it toward Greg. "Just don't touch me ok? I don't need that" Greg was about to ask what Nick meant by that but the Texan was out the door. Heading toward Gill's office.  
  
Gill watched as the drama unfolded, watched Nick lean into the embrace, close his eyes temporarily in relief before realizing whose arms he was in and, suitably "freaking". "Freaking" was the only correct way to say what Nick had done. He had realized he was in another man's arms, and had "freaked". Gill was slightly disappointed in his Level Three CSI. He'd have thought Nick would have a broader outlook on things. Just because Greg was male didn't mean he could never offer some sense of support, of comfort. They were friends, not lovers. There was nothing wrong. But he was thinking with the mind of a broad minded Californian. Nick was, regrettably, a Texan. He saw Greg put back on his lab coat with a slight look of guilt, Gill knew Greg hadn't meant to offend his friend. He knew Greg was a Californian too. Nothing was wrong with Texans, its just that in some places being a homosexual was clearly defined. It had nothing to do with what the word meant. It was a man who acted in any way un-manly. Grissom preferred to ignore their definition of un-manly. He'd decided that sticking his tail between his leg instead of walking into Lady Heather's had been manly enough. He doubted she would punish him, but he just was not welcoming whips and chains. Tea cups were nice, civilized was nice. The red look on Nicks face as he busted into his room was not nice. "I would rather not hear a word about sexual harassment Nick" he said simply and watched as the Texan turned a deeper red, he realized that it was a blush. "I... I wouldn't... that wasn't" he started and Gill was content with the knowledge that Nick was aware that was far from a come on. "Then why did you run as if it was a blatant display of homosexuality?" Gill asked and Nick swallowed hard. "Because where I'm from that can get people into a lot of trouble" Nick said and Gill narrowed his eyes. Gill thought Nick had understood love fairly well he'd thought, he'd tried hard enough when he'd fallen for Kristi. He'd given up a lot to sleep with a prostitute. Lost his cred for a few days, he'd been a suspect in her murder. How different was loving a man, who wasn't a prostitute? He liked his insects better then trying to dissect the way the human race thought about things. He just saw things from a different perspective, was open minded about everything around him. He left Nick hanging and turned back to his work, faithful enough that if Nick spoke he'd hear him. But Nick didn't speak he sat and stared at the photographs on the table before his superior. Watched Gill concentrate on each photo. Watched him muse over things like he always did. Felt like he was going to start shivering again. Not only because he was sick, but because being in Greg's arms had felt great. Comforting, welcoming. He hadn't felt so protected since he'd left Texas, since he'd said goodbye to his five sisters, one brother, and his mom and pop. He missed them. Now he was alone, he'd never wanted to be alone, never. He just wanted to set out on his own. Men were not supposed to hide in another man's arms. Especially one that was younger then them. But it had felt good, he'd felt protected, and he'd known in that second, he'd been cared about. Cared about by a great, un-selfish, kind of innocent, wonderful guy. The only problem was he was a guy. Both of them were guys, you just weren't allowed to do that with other guys. "I think Greg deserves an apology" Gill said and had timed it right so that his Level Three CSI and his Lab tech ran into each other. The results from the DNA analysis were back and Grissom took them from an eager Nick. "I'll take these to Brass, would you mind taking Nick home Greg? I'm in the belief that he is not exactly prepared to drive at this time" Gill said. Greg looked as if he was about to protest but Gill was gone. "I... I could call you a cab" Greg offered, aware that he'd stepped over a line he hadn't known was there when he'd held Nick, he didn't want to do it again.  
  
Nick bent to put the passenger seat back farther, the night was incredibly clear, he could hear the sound of water pouring down culverts, imagined he could hear the sound of some lucky person winning the jack pot. Smiled slightly even as the feeling of loosing his stomach got worse. He was glad he was with Greg and not Grissom. He couldn't do anything to make himself a fool in front of Greg. Greg already had that covered. He looked up with slightly emotion filled eyes as the lab tech cleaned out the side seat floor, throwing oddities into the back. Nick smiled slightly at the thought of a love-life he hadn't thought Greg could have when a box of condoms, opened, was thrown into the back seat. "Sorry... haven't had someone in the passenger seat for awhile" Greg said and Nick chuckled. "So all the girls sit on your lap then Greg?" Nick asked and Greg looked up swiftly. Brown eyes wide in embarrassment. He looked down quickly. "I haven't had a date for awhile, actually I insulted her... something about my job. She didn't like cops much, but it was difficult to explain I wasn't one" Greg said and trembled slightly when Nick's hand brushed against his, both now cleaning out the car. He knew what was wrong with him, lack of intimate contact, close proximity with his friend, and Nick's response to him when he wasn't even thinking of him in that way. It had started him thinking that he had, his guilt trips were terrible these days, and that brought him into thinking about it deeper. What it would feel like to be with a man. To be with Nick. He hadn't run down this line of thought since his early days of college. His room mate had been blatantly Bi-sexual, and had found Greg a worthy subject to seduce. It had been a one night stand, Greg hadn't enjoyed it all that much, he'd been loaded and remembered the worst part of that night had been waking up in the middle of it alone. He'd never done that to any one he'd slept with, no matter how much he'd wanted too. It had been painful enough to be ignored day after day, a kind of entrée for someone he'd felt was his friend. He'd forgotten about it. But now he felt the loneliness again, heavier because there was no steady girlfriend, no nothing to soothe the pain. Just Nick, cleaning out his front seat with him, in the silence that wasn't really silence. He focused on the sound's of Vegas just as Nick had. Got in and turned up the heat for Nick, without even waiting to see shivers start. He pulled out slowly, the silence of the night, the beauty of the stars after the rain in this lonely desert, was heart breaking beautiful. Nothing like the grating lights of California, after the strip was behind you there was only sand. He drove into Nick's suburb, drove to his apartment. They sat in silence, both trapped by the beauty they had moved to, both unwilling to be alone at that moment. "Stay tonight" he heard Nick say slowly. Almost unsure of himself. He nodded slowly and got out and watched as Nick did the same. They locked the car doors and walked up the stairs, but didn't go inside. They stared up at the full moon, neither paid enough attention to the weather channel during the day to discover that's what it was. They both came across these things by chance. They stood, the light breeze after the rains sweeping through tired gelled hair, and through Nick's clothing to chill him. Greg's mind wasn't up to debate what Nick had meant, and neither was Nick's. So they stood. Leaning against a railing, elbows brushing. Watching the moon's gentle progress higher. Nick's fingers clutched at the railing, knuckles turning white, he'd never wanted to be alone like this. He felt Greg's fingers close around his hand, felt them tug till his left hand released the railing, his fingers entwined with Greg's right hand. They were holding hands. Nick looked at Greg slowly, watched as Greg turned to him, Vegas sounded around them. Greg gently put an arm around his friend. Nick leaned into him, wrapped an arm around him. They stood there, listening as Vegas sang, their home singing to them. The wind blew against them, pushing them closer together. Greg sighed, his lips brushing over Nick's, cars went by in the distance. Everywhere around them people were striving not to be alone, and here they stood, in the quiet of the space before Nick's door. The moon rose above them, the city called around them. But there they stood, for the first time since coming here to their new home, they weren't alone.  
  
Greg woke up, Nick's sheets tangled around him, arms tangled around Nick. He laid back down slowly, closing his eyes tightly and listened to the thrum of Nick's heart, and the spatter of rain against the roof. He opened them to narrow slits, watched as the moon set in the sky, right before the open window that still let in the sounds. He sat slowly, pulled his boxers on, then his pants. Was reaching for his shirt when he felt Nick's hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to be alone" Greg looked into decisive eyes and laid back down. The rain still fell, the city still sang, somewhere, someone had won the jackpot. But right here, the just lay, watching the moon, watching the rain, and not being alone in the dark, not alone in their fears. Loving their home, secretly loving the prospect of not being alone, and loving each other. 


End file.
